Locking assembly of a disk case

ABSTRACT

A disk case comprises a case member having locking devices and elastic devices at an inner surface thereof. Each of the locking devices has an end thereof connected to the case member and the other ends thereof extended inwards and suspended. Each of the locking devices have an engaging block at the suspending end thereof, a locking flange at the top edge of the engaging block and an aperture beside the engaging block. Each of the locking devices is provided with two depressions at opposite sides of the aperture respectively to form two strips coupled with the engaging block. Each of the engaging blocks is provided with at least an elastic rib which has an end thereof connected to the inner side of the engaging block and the other end thereof projected inwards and downwards, and a button is located within the engaging blocks and is coupled with the distal ends of the elastic ribs. Each of the elastic devices has an ejecting portion at the suspending end thereof to eject a disc upwards after the locking devices releases the disc.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention related to a case, and more particularly to a locking assembly of a disk case.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002]FIG. 1 shows a conventional disk case 10 having a pair of locking arms 11 at the center of an inner surface thereof. The locking arms 11 have ends coupled to the case 10 and the other ends suspended. Each locking arm 11 is provided with a semi-circle block 111 at the suspending end thereof, a hook 112 at the top edge of the block 111 and an aperture 113 beside the block 111. User can put a compact disc 20, refer to FIG. 2, in the case 10 with the blocks 111 inserted into a central hole 21 of the disc 20 for the hooks 112 can lock the disc 20.

[0003] I found that there are some drawbacks of the conventional disk case 10, which are:

[0004] 1. Please refer to FIG. 2, sometime, the case 10 might be dropped to the ground, a shear force might be exerted on the blocks 111 from the disc 20 to make the locking arms 11 being damaged at the apertures 113.

[0005] 2. To release the disc 20, user has to press both of the blocks 111. If user only presses one block 111, refer to FIG. 3, it could not release the disc 20, and more particularly, sometime it might damage the locking arm 11.

[0006] 3. The hooks 112 will interfere with the disc 20 while pressing the blocks 111 to release the disc 20 such that the disc 20 will be bended to make the releasing action unsmooth, and

[0007] 4. The hooks 112 of the locking arms 11 can not provide a strong capacity to locking the disc 20.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a disk case which can overcome the drawbacks as described above.

[0009] According to the objective of the present invention, a disk case comprises a case member having locking devices at an inner surface thereof, each of which has an end thereof connected to the case member and the other ends thereof extended inwards and suspended. Each of the locking devices have an engaging block at the suspending end thereof, a locking flange at the top edge of the engaging block and an aperture beside the engaging block. Each of the locking devices is provided with two depressions at opposite sides of the aperture respectively to form two strips coupled with the engaging block. Each of the engaging blocks is provided with at least an elastic rib which has an end thereof connected to the inner side of the engaging block and the other end thereof projected inwards and downwards, and a button is located within the engaging blocks and is coupled with the distal ends of the elastic ribs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional disk case;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the conventional disk, showing a block thereof being broken by a shear force (shown as a arrow);

[0012]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a conventional disk, showing only one block being pressed and the disc can not be taken out;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first prefer embodiment of the present invention;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the locking assembly of the first prefer embodiment of the present invention in combination;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the first prefer embodiment of the present invention in combination;

[0016]FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the first prefer embodiment of the present invention, showing the locking assembly locking a disc;

[0017]FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the first prefer embodiment of the present invention, showing the locking assembly being pressed to release the disc;

[0018]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second prefer embodiment of the present invention;

[0019]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the locking assembly of the second prefer embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the second prefer embodiment of the present invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Please refer to FIGS. from FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, a disk case of the first prefer embodiment of the present invention comprises a case member 30 having four locking devices 31 and four elastic devices 32 interlaced disposed at the center of an inner surface thereof. The locking devices 31 and the elastic devices 32 have ends thereof connected to the case member 30 and the other ends thereof extended inwards and suspended. Each locking device 31 is provided with an engaging block 311 at the suspending end thereof, a triangular locking flange 312 at top edge of the engaging block 311 and an aperture 313 beside the engaging block 311. The locking device 31 further has two depressions 314 at opposite sides of the aperture 313 to form two thinner strips 315 coupled with the engaging block 311. The engaging blocks 311 respectively have elastic ribs 316 at inner side which have ends connected to the engaging block 311 at the upper side of the inner side and the other ends projected inwards and downwards. A button 317 is located within engaging blocks 311 coupled with the distal ends of said elastic ribs 316 at the bottom thereof. Each elastic device 32 has an ejecting portion 321 at the suspending end thereof which is higher than the suspending ends of the locking devices 31.

[0021] In use, please refer to FIG. 7, put a disc 20 into the case member 10 to make the engaging blocks 311 inserted into a central hole 21 of the disc 20. The locking flanges 312 on the engaging blocks 311 will hook the disc 20 automatically and the disc 20 will press the ejecting portions 321 of the elastic devices 32.

[0022] To take out the disc 20, please refer to FIG. 8, user only needs to press the button 317, the locking devices 31 and the engaging blocks 311 will be driven to be biased inwards and downwards via the elastic ribs 316. The engaging blocks 311 now will run out of the hole 21 of the disc 20, in the meantime, the elastic devices 32 will eject the disc 20 upwards to release the disc 20.

[0023] Please refer to FIGS. from FIG. 9 to FIG. 11 which show a disk case of the second prefer embodiment of the present invention having a case member 30, four locking devices 31 each of which has an engaging block 311 at the suspending end thereof and a locking flange 312 at the top edge of the engaging block 311 etc.. The disk case of the second prefer embodiment mainly has the elements as same as the first embodiment has, except that I do not provide any elastic device 32 in the second prefer embodiment.

[0024] The way to lock and release a disc 20 of the disk case of the second prefer embodiment is as same as the first prefer embodiment did. So, I will not describe it again.

[0025] The advantages of the present invention are:

[0026] 1. The elastic ribs 316 are provided to share the shear force exerted onto the locking devices 31 when the case member 10 is impacted, like the case member 10 is dropped to the ground. Thus, the locking devices 31 will not be easy to be damaged at the apertures 313.

[0027] 2. To release the disc 20, user only has to press the button 317 and the disc 20 will be ejected automatically. It has an easy way to release the disc 20 such that the disc 20 and the locking devices 31 will not be damaged when installing and releasing the disc 20.

[0028] 3. The present invention provides the elastic ribs 316 to couple the button 317 with the engaging blocks 311 of the locking devices 31 and also provides the strips 315 to couple the locking devices 31 with the engaging blocks 311 such that, when press the button 317, the engaging blocks 311 will be biased inwards first to make the locking flanges 312 leave the hole 21 of the disc 20 without any interference, and then the elastic devices 32 will eject the disc 20 upwards.

[0029] 4. The locking flanges 312 have their whole areas to hook the disc 20, they provide a strong locking capacity. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A disk case, comprising: a case member having locking devices at an inner surface thereof, each of which has an end thereof connected to the case member and the other ends thereof extended inwards and suspended; each of said locking devices having an engaging block at the suspending end thereof, a locking flange at the top edge of said engaging block and an aperture beside said engaging block; each of said locking devices provided with two depressions at opposite sides of said aperture respectively to form two strips coupled with said engaging block; each of said engaging blocks provided with at least an elastic rib which has an end thereof connected to the inner side of said engaging block and the other end thereof projected inwards and downwards, and a button located within said engaging blocks and coupled with the distal ends of said elastic ribs.
 2. The disk case as defined in claim 1, wherein said case member is provided with elastic devices beside said locking devices which have ends thereof connected to said case member and the other ends thereof extended inwards and suspended, each of said elastic devices has an ejecting portion at the suspending end thereof which is higher that the suspending ends of said locking devices. 